The purpose of this document is to address some of the issues coordinators and data owners face when distributing instruments through Qualtrics. In particular, user data needs to be manually validated by coordinators when identifying information is entered by participants. The issue here is that participants might not know where to find their PIDN, and if they do, they may still make mistakes. The same can be said for participant’s names. We all make ~~speeling~~ spelling errors.

Another topic I’ll cover here is how to automate instrument distribution. Instead of sending out a link to a group of participants, waiting for them to respond, and then sending out anther batch of instruments, we’ll create a procedure in Qualtrics that distributes tasks automatically upon task completion.

This document aims to cover two related topics:

Link ID to surveys

1.1 Log into qualtrics through UCSF single sign-on

1.2 Create contact list

1.2.1 Go to contacts page

1.2.2 Create shared or self-owned contact list

The paths following this next step should be the same.

Owned contact list

Shared contact list

1.2.3 Create new folder (optional)

Recommended for organization

Enter the name of your folder

Press enter

1.2.4 Create contact list

Name your contact list

Store contact list in folder we created or in uncategorized

1.2.5 Import contacts with PIDNs included

Few ways to do this; import from file is probably easiest

Download the example document

The contents will look like this excluding my info

You can past new data into this sheet

ExternalDataReference should be where you paste the PIDNs

FirstName, LastName, PrimaryEmail, and ExternalDataReference are required for our purposes

Once you’ve saved the file, you can browse for it on your computer to upload

The output should look like this

You’ll now see it in your contacts page

You can open the contact list to take a closer look if desired

details will look like this

1.3 Create instrument (skip if using existing instrument)

1.3.1 Go to instruments page

1.3.2 Create project

1.3.3 Create survey

1.3.4 Modify your survery/instrument as you wish

1.3.5 IMPORTANT: Whenever you make changes, you need to publish your survey for those changes to take effect

1.4 Distribute instrument with PIDN linked

1.4.1 Go to distributions tab

1.4.2 Select to send survey via email

1.4.3 Select participants to send instrument to

From the contact list we built, you can either send instrument to individual participants or to the whole contact list

1.4.4 Modify sender info and reply info in email

From here, you can modify the email to be sent from a specific address other than yours and control who receives email responses.

1.4.5 Address the participant and compose email

Include your signature in the email you’re sending out, incuding the UCSF picture

You can address the participant by name using the contact info we uploaded

This will address each participant by their name even if you’ve selected to send to multiple participants

To access the contact info, go here

1.4.6 Send email

You can send now or send with a specified delay

1.4.7 Participant view

The participant will see an email like this:

1.5 Resulting data

Resulting data will have this info linked

Walk through the steps to automate sequential Qualtrics instrument distribution

This will begin from the assumption that you have multiple instruments already set up and have a list of contacts with name, email, and PIDN imported into Qualtrics

2.1 Log into qualtrics through UCSF single sign-on

2.2 Go to the projects page

2.3 Select the first instrument being sent out

We’re going to set up a trigger that sends out the next instrument upon completion of this one

2.4. Go to workflows within project

Warning: Make sure this project and the project being sent out after this project are published

2.5 Create workflow

2.5.1 Select create a workflow

2.5.2 Select Start when event is received

2.5.3 Build on survey event

2.5.4 Survey response options

2.5.5 Add condition

2.5.6 Set condition options

2.5.7 Add task

2.5.8 Select task type

2.5.9 Add contact/Distribute survey

2.5.9.1 Distribution options

Select the contact list you’ll be using

This is the one we created in the previous step

Use the data we imported into the contact list

Do the same fore first name, last name, email, and external data reference

Select which survery you want sent out after this first one is completed

Set the rest of the fields and load in a saved message. You can also create a new one.

Here’s how to create a new email with the participant’s name inserted into the email

This line extracts the name(s) from the contact list

Here’s where to access that info:

Save the email

You can also automate reminders, but I’m not going to cover that here.

2.5.9.2 Save and name the workflow

2.6 Repeat this process for the surveys you want to link together

I.e., go to test_project_2 and set up a workflow under that instrument that sends out test_project_3 upon completion of test_project_2

Use the same settings except for the email (which should be tailored to the survey) and which survery comes next

E.g.,

2.7 Distribute instrument

2.7.1 Go to distributions tab

2.7.2 Select to send survey via email

2.7.3 Select participants to send instrument to